NHTSA Complaint #10294338 — 2002 SATURN LS

RECALL NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 05V245000. COMPONENT: EXTERIOR LIGHTING BRAKE LIGHTS. I HAD MY RECALL SERVICE DONE ON DEC. 26 2005. ON NOV. 27TH 2009. I GOT PULLED OVER BY THE POLICE. MY REAR RUNNING AND BRAKE LIGHTS WERE OUT. NO TICKET BECAUSE I WAS CLOSE TO HOME. TOOK IT TO A MECHANIC THE NEXT DAY TO FIND OUT THAT BOTH LIGHT BULBS WERE BROKE. PLASTIC MELTED DOWN AND HIT THE BULBS. TRIED TO REPLACE BULBS BUT THE MELTED PLASTIC WAS IN THE WAY. I TOOK PICTURES OF THE MELTED PLASTIC. WENT TO SATURN DEALER TO HAVE THEM LOOK AT IT AND THEY SAID THAT A FRONT DRIVER SIDE PARKING LIGHT WAS OUT AND IT HAD CONDENSATION UNDER THE LENS. THEY SAID THAT SHORTED THE REAR LIGHTS. THEY REPLACED THE BULBS BY GRINDING THE MELTED PLASTIC OUT OF THE WAY. THEY SAID THEY DID NOT BUT THERE WAS NO WAY TO GET THE BULB PAST THE MELTED PLASTIC. I TOOK MORE PICTURES. SO THE LIGHTS WORK FOR NOW. BUT IT WON'T BE LONG BEFORE THE PLASTIC MELTS DOWN ONTO THE BULBS AGAIN. I DO BELIEVE THIS HAS TO DO WITH THE RECALL. IT READS-ON CERTAIN SEDANS AND WAGONS, THE PLASTIC HOUSING IN THE REAR TAIL LAMP ASSEMBLY CAN BECOME DISTORTED IF THE BRAKE LAMPS REMAIN ON FOR AN EXTENDED TIME. NOT A BURNED OUT PARKING LIGHT WITH CONDENSATION UNDER THE LENS. THIS COULD BECOME VERY DANGEROUS. NO TAIL OR BRAKE LIGHTS! TAILGAITERS! I NOW CARRY EXTRA LIGHT BULBS AND WAIT FOR THE NEXT MELT DOWN. SATURN HAS BEEN NO HELP. JUST A BANDAID. *TR